


Winter Treat

by Joe_Reaves



Series: From the Ashes [15]
Category: Empire Records (1995), Law & Order: SVU, NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Apocalypse, Crossover, Gen, Kid Fic, Plague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-14
Updated: 2010-04-14
Packaged: 2017-10-08 22:44:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joe_Reaves/pseuds/Joe_Reaves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elliot and Gibbs have a surprise for the children.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter Treat

The whole group had got into the habit of having breakfast in the large communal building, which they'd finally finished just before summer ended and the weather started getting worse. They'd had to pull people off the houses to get it done, which meant most of them were still going to be sharing over the winter. They didn't mind though. Most of them probably wouldn't move into their own places even when they were finished. Over the last few months they'd organised themselves into small family groups and that was probably the last time things would change until the four children started to want to move out on their own.

Elliot was the last one to get there, which was odd since Warren had arrived at about the same time as today's cooks. He could always be trusted to arrive first when there was food around. The others teased him about his appetite all the time but he just waved it off and told them he was a growing boy.

When Elliot finally arrived he walked straight over to Gibbs, leaned down and whispered something in his ear, and handed him a box, which was put under the table and out of the way without a word. Everyone was looking at them, trying to figure out what they were up to, but Gibbs just kept on eating and chatting with Mac. Elliot grabbed a plate of food and slid in next to Warren and Ducky and prompted the doctor to start one of his long, rambling stories, distracting everyone from the mystery.

They all helped clear up after breakfast and then left Sean and the Admiral washing up while they headed to their various jobs.

"Oliver, Ethan, and you, Warren," Gibbs called. "I've got something for you to do today."

The adults exchanged looks and, with the exception of Lucas, who needed to check the animals had food and water, decided to go with them and see what Gibbs and Elliot had been up to.

Oliver and Ethan ran over to Gibbs excitedly. He was one of their favourite people and always found them fun things to do. Even things that were supposed to be work were fun when Gibbs was in charge of them. Warren was more cautious. He knew Gibbs wouldn't hurt him but he was loud and Warren was still a little bit scared of him.

By the time they got down to the pond, his curiosity had overcome his fear. The pond was totally iced over and had been for a couple of weeks, what could Gibbs possibly be intending to do down here?

Joe and a couple of the other adults were grinning as Warren looked around at them. They had obviously worked out what was in the box. Warren didn't have a clue and it was annoying him.

"Come here and sit down, kids," Gibbs told them. "Now, do any of you know how to skate?"

Warren stared at him. "But we don't have any skates." He looked down at the boxes hopefully. He'd loved skating back before the virus. Could Elliot really have made them ice skates?

Joe smiled softly and nudged Elliot softly. "Did he tell you he liked to skate or is this just a lucky coincidence?"

"He mentioned it while we were working on one of the houses together," Elliot admitted. "It's taken me this long to figure out how to make them."

"You are a total sap," Joe laughed. "You spoil him."

Elliot shrugged and looked back at the scene by the side of the pond. "He deserves it."

Gibbs opened the first box and pulled out two small pairs of metal things which Warren realised were plates with skate blades on the bottom. "This way they can be adjusted as you grow," he told the twins. "We fix them onto the bottom of your boots and then you can skate." He smiled up at Warren. Let me show you how to do it and you can fix Oliver's while I do Ethan's. Then we can get our own on and show them how it's done."

Warren was trying hard not to bounce like one of the kids. He didn't think he'd ever get to skate again. It had been the one sport he was really good at and he'd enjoyed the freedom of flying over the ice.

Watching Gibbs, he quickly grasped how they worked and soon had Oliver's attached. Gibbs opened the other box and handed him a pair of the odd metal skates. He ran his hands over them reverently.

"These are fantastic." Looking up the slight hill towards where the others stood he paused. "I'll be back in a minute. There's someone I have to thank." He smiled at Gibbs again. "You think you're up to a race later?"

Gibbs laughed. "I can outrun or outskate you any day, short stuff. Besides, you're used to skating on nice flat ice rink ice, I grew up on ponds like this."

Warren drew himself up as tall as he could. "Want to bet on that, old guy?"

Gibbs looked at him passively and Warren worried for a moment that he'd gone too far. "Hey, Joe!" Gibbs called, looking away from Warren. "Want to referee a little race later on? I'm going to cream the kid here and then he's going to be doing all my cleaning for a week."

Warren grinned and ran up the hill to hug Elliot. "Thank you for the skates, man, they're perfect." He turned to Joe and added, "And when I put Gibbs in his place this afternoon, he's going to be getting up at dawn to milk the cows for me so I can sleep late for the rest of the week." He ran back down the hill to strap his skates on, grinning at Gibbs in a way that the others hadn't seen before.

"You did good," Joe told Elliot softly. "I hadn't realised how much he was holding back when he smiled until you put that grin on his face." He paused. "You want to put a side bet on the race? If your boy can beat Gibbs, I'll build you a bookcase like the one you were drooling over in Lucas' room and if Gibbs wins, you can make Lucas and me some of those skates."


End file.
